2 Chronicles 2 2

2 Chronicles 2:2 kjv

And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

2 Chronicles 2:2 nkjv

Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

2 Chronicles 2:2 niv

He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.

2 Chronicles 2:2 esv

And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them.

2 Chronicles 2:2 nlt

He enlisted a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen.

2 Chronicles 2 verses

2 Chronicles 2 2 Meaning

King Solomon meticulously organized a vast workforce for the construction of the Temple, specifically conscripting seventy thousand men to transport materials, eighty thousand men to quarry stone from the hills, and appointed three thousand six hundred foremen to oversee these extensive labor forces. This mobilization signifies the enormous scale and meticulous planning required for God's house, enabled by the kingdom's prosperity and peace under Solomon.

2 Chronicles 2 2 Context

Chapter 2 of 2 Chronicles opens with King Solomon's determined resolution to construct a Temple for the name of the Lord and a palace for himself. This verse details the monumental human resources Solomon meticulously organized for this sacred task. Following David's comprehensive preparations, including securing vast quantities of materials and financial resources, Solomon inherited the divine mandate and logistical framework. This massive mobilization of labor is set against a backdrop of unparalleled peace and prosperity during Solomon's early reign, enabling him to undertake a project of this scale which had been prepared for by David, reflecting Israel's strength and God's blessing.

2 Chronicles 2 2 Word analysis

• And Solomon conscripted (וַיִּסְפֹּר, wayyispor): The verb "sāpar" (ספר) means "to count," "number," "recount." In this context, it implies an organized census for the purpose of forced impressment or "levy." This was not voluntary enlistment but the official registration and assignment of labor. This aligns with practices in the Ancient Near East for large royal construction projects. Notably, these laborers (the 70k and 80k) are explicitly identified in 2 Chron 2:17-18 as strangers or resident aliens (גֵּרִים, gerim) in the land of Israel, a practice permitted under Deuteronomic law regarding conquered peoples.

• seventy thousand men (שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ, shiv'im eleph ish): A precise, large numerical designation indicating the immense scale of human power dedicated to the project. The number emphasizes the monumental nature of the work.

• to carry loads (נֹשְׂאֵי סַבָּל, nos'e sabbal): Literally, "those carrying burdens." This denotes the primary task of these seventy thousand: transporting vast quantities of heavy materials, likely stones and timber, from quarries and forests to the construction site in Jerusalem. This was physically demanding and foundational work.

• and eighty thousand (וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף, ushmôhim eleph): Another specific, very large number, highlighting the additional vast division of labor for a distinct task.

• to quarry stone in the hills (חֹצְבֵי בָהָר, chotz've vahār): This phrase identifies their specific, skilled, and laborious task: hewing and shaping stone from mountainous regions. "In the hills" refers to the geographical source of the stone, often associated with high-quality limestone and possibly cedars from Lebanon, implying large-scale logistics.

• and three thousand six hundred (וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, ushlo'shet alaphim veshesh me'ot): The designated number of supervisors, indicating a structured hierarchy essential for managing such a colossal undertaking. This high ratio (one foreman for approximately every 41 laborers) suggests a close and intensive level of oversight.

• foremen over them (מְנַצְּחִים עֲלֵיהֶם, menatzchīm ‘aleihem): These were the overseers, managers, or taskmasters. Their role was critical for efficiency, discipline, and coordinating the work of the masses. The term (menatzchīm) implies directing, managing, or superintending. Their presence signifies the organizational complexity and strict supervision employed for the Temple construction.

• seventy thousand men to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stone: This combined figure of 150,000 laborers illustrates the unprecedented scope of the Temple construction project. The division of labor into distinct groups (carriers and quarriers) reflects practical engineering and resource management strategies. These men, as mentioned, were almost exclusively non-Israelite resident aliens, providing the raw physical power for the most strenuous tasks.

• three thousand six hundred foremen over them: This substantial number of overseers indicates the structured management system in place. Such a large supervisory staff was necessary to organize, direct, and ensure the productivity of an immigrant labor force numbering in the hundreds of thousands. It speaks to the sophistication of Solomon's administration and his capacity for grand-scale project management.

2 Chronicles 2 2 Bonus section

The numbers for laborers and foremen for the Temple construction vary slightly between 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, which has been a point of scholarly discussion. 1 Kings 5:13-16 mentions a levy of 30,000 from Israel and 3,300 "chief officers" overseeing them. 1 Kings 9:20-22 clarifies that non-Israelites (remnants of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) were the ones Solomon subjected to forced labor. The 2 Chronicles account here specifically aligns with 2 Chronicles 2:17 (KJV 2:17-18) which explicitly states Solomon numbered the "strangers that were in the land of Israel," revealing that the 150,000 common laborers and their 3,600 direct foremen mentioned in 2 Chron 2:2 were this non-Israelite demographic. The differences are likely due to focusing on different administrative layers (e.g., total foremen vs. chief officers) or distinct groups of laborers (Israelite conscripts vs. non-Israelite forced laborers). Regardless, the cumulative picture points to an extraordinary concentration of human and material resources devoted to a single divine purpose. This mass mobilization reflects a period of immense stability and wealth, but also the ancient Near Eastern practice of using state-mandated labor for public works, with Israelite subjects often holding higher positions of command or lighter duties compared to the foreign "gerim" who performed the heaviest work.

2 Chronicles 2 2 Commentary

2 Chronicles 2:2 offers a concise yet powerful glimpse into the unparalleled organizational and logistical prowess of King Solomon as he embarked on the construction of the Temple. The meticulous enumeration of distinct groups of laborers—70,000 carriers and 80,000 stone quarriers—underlines the sheer scale of the undertaking. This was not a small-scale effort but a massive national project, representative of God's favor and Israel's prominence during Solomon's reign. The appointment of 3,600 foremen underscores the necessity of stringent supervision and structured management to ensure efficiency and control over such a vast conscripted workforce, composed primarily of non-Israelite "strangers." This verse encapsulates the detailed planning and enormous human resources committed to building a house for the Almighty, a monumental task reflecting divine blessings and human devotion.